Accelerate: Season 1 (2024-2025) Post-Season Report

Accelerate is a program that combines mental health and games education. Kelli Dunlap and Sarah Hays. Its inaugural 2024-2025 season, which concluded in April 2025, had 10 fellows, all of whom completed the program and presented capstone projects. The program received 576 applications over an application window of approximately one month, and all were reviewed by staff, with 25 applicants invited to second-round interviews. Fellows included game designers, UX designers, games scholars, mental health professionals, artists, educators, researchers, and esports academics, with 50% identifying as neurodivergent, 90% as LGBTQI2A+, and 80% as non-White. The twice-weekly educational seminars covered topics such as the history of games, the state of the game industry, mental health 101, and ethical design. In March 2025, fellows and staff attended the Games Developers Conference (GDC), where 8 of 10 fellows attended. Fellows reported milestones including speaking invitations, publishing capstone projects, and securing jobs in the games industry. The report also states that the program logged 240 hours of face-to-face time with staff and mentors.